Nestable and stackable tray for cans or the like

Abstract

Reusable plastic trays for storing and transporting beverage containers, such as twelve-ounce metal cans and two-liter PET bottles. The tray floor has thereon an array of support areas for the containers. The tray rail band thereof is spaced high enough above the floor to prevent container tipping and in a "low-depth" configuration. The outside rail band faces are vertical on both sides and are against the containers, and thereby add little to the outside tray dimensions. The inside face contacts and supports the peripheral containers. Columns between adjacent support areas interconnect the rail and the floor, angle downwardly and inwardly therebetween, open outwardly and form vertical nesting slots. The trays when empty can thereby be stacked in a deeply nesting position whereby each additional tray adds only the height of its narrow rail to the nested tray stack height. When the tray is a can tray, the bottom surface of the floor has a pattern of protuberances and recessed areas therebetween. When a loaded can tray is supported and located on a similar tray therebeneath, the lower can rims fit into the recessed areas and the protuberances are positioned both inside of and outside of the rims thereby locating and locking the upper tray in place. To unlock the upper tray it is simply twisted so that the protuberances ride up their bevelled edges onto the rims and into a sliding position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A low depth tray for cylindrical containers adapted to be nested with other trays when empty of the containers and stacked with other trays when loaded with the containers, said tray comprising: a low depth side wall structure comprising a band extending around the periphery of said tray for preventing the cylindrical containers from tipping during transport;   a floor structure connected to said wall structure, said floor structure comprising   a substantially flat, open floor top surface having a plurality of support areas for supporting the containers thereon, and   a floor bottom surface having a plurality of spaced downward projections adapted to prevent free sliding of said tray when loaded with the containers and stacked with other trays, the containers each having a top surface defining top rims of the containers, wherein said projections are positioned to be within the top rims of containers in an adjacent tray beneath said tray when loaded with containers and stacked, and also positioned to surround the top rims of containers in an adjacent tray beneath said tray when loaded with containers and stacked, thereby providing rotatably releasable engagement of the bottom of an adjacent tray with the top rims of containers loaded in said tray therebeneath; and   a plurality of columns interconnecting said band and said floor structure, said columns configured to nest deeply with columns of another empty tray.   
     
     
       2. The low depth tray of claim 1, wherein said spaced downward projections on said floor bottom surface are adapted to block said tray from free sliding when in a loaded and stacked position, and wherein outer edges of each said projections are beveled surfaces such that a slight rotation of said tray about a generally vertical axis causes said projections to disengage from the top rims of the containers therebeneath and ride up said beveled surfaces into a position allowing free sliding of said tray on the top rims of the containers. 
     
     
       3. The low depth tray of claim 1, wherein said projections comprise inner circular projections generally centered below said support areas positioned to be within the top rim of the container in another tray therebeneath and outer circular projections positioned to encircle the top rim of the container in another tray therebeneath. 
     
     
       4. The low depth tray of claim 3, wherein said inner circular projections are discs. 
     
     
       5. The low depth tray of claim 3, wherein said inner circular projections are rings. 
     
     
       6. The low depth tray of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of spaced island redoubt members projecting downwardly from said floor bottom surface between said outer circular projections. 
     
     
       7. The low depth tray of claim 1, wherein said projections comprise a plurality of spaced island redoubt members adapted to be positioned between the containers in another tray therebeneath in order to block said tray from free sliding when in a loaded and stacked position. 
     
     
       8. The low depth tray of claim 1, wherein said spaced downward projections on said floor bottom surface are generally centered below each of said support areas on said floor top surface.